A complete rethink of bingo club layout, location and promotion may soon follow the smoking ban, as players from one such land based club in Plymouth, UK, recently experienced the full force of the ban as they were moved on by the Police as they sought to smoke a quick cigarette outside the club main doors. The Police did not take kindly to over 100 people smoking on a main road outside the Gala bingo hall and moved them on or back into the club, minus their cigarettes.

The smoking ban may cause land based bingo clubs to rethink how they advertise and promote softer games in between typical bingo games. It may be that players who are itching for a cigarette could be further enticed into playing slots or similar games in order to help ease their tension or to take their mind away from wanting a cigarette.

Whatever the clubs do to try to keep their players, they will have a tough fight on their hands as online bingo at home allows people the freedom to smoke a cigarette while enjoying the benefits of playing bingo and socialising.

The UK Gambling Commission recently released its updated report on remote gambling and this shows an increase in online gambling over recent months. So the future for online bingo gambling looks rosy.

But it may mean that some players are prevented from playing their favourite game altogether. Consider the 55 + year olds whose only weekly pleasure is an outing to a bingo hall, to meet with their friends and have a cigarette and a chin wag. Those of such an age may not be PC savvy and could find it frustrating that they can no longer smoke in the bingo halls and cannot use a PC to play online. Indeed the report by the Gambling Commission shows that of those surveyed only 5% of 55+ year olds had tried some form of remote or online gambling.

The Gambling Commission might be happy that some people will be prevented from gambling as it could potentially reduce the numbers who end up with gambling problems and could paint a prettier picture in terms of the overall numbers spending hard earned cash gambling online.

However, figures just released show that this reduction is not necessarily going to happen as some 9% of those surveyed in the past two months said they had tried some form of online gambling, up 3% on the previous year for the same period. Or flingcom

While online bingo players still lag behind online poker and online betting players in terms of the percentage who have actually tried some form of online gambling, it does show the second biggest increase for the same period from the previous year.

Behind the National Lottery which showed 1% growth in June 2007, from June 2006, online bingo shows a close 0.5% for the same period, thus proving that it has caught up with online poker and betting as a popular form of gambling with less percentage growth. Proving also that people are entrusting online bingo sites as a legitimate gambling form.

So its seems that players are making that transition over to online gambling and with the smoking ban starting to have an effect, online bingo can only benefit from allowing its players the freedom to smoke online, at home, at anytime.

Bingos’ growing popularity online has many fans flocking the virtual bingo halls in seek of some bingo fun. Even with this rapid growth online fact remains that bingo is the largest game in the world and the majority of bingo fans still play bingo the good old fashion way, in their church, schools clubs and even homes or just a general get together.

Here I will share with you a couple of things you will need if you decide to put on a bingo game for a large crowd or just a simple gathering.

1. Tubs of chips- You can find these in a wide assortment of colors and styles. A popular trend is to have these customized. Most tubs are reusable. It is always better to get these the ones with the gritty edge for easier handling. You can also get the popular magnetic chips for better handling.

2. Daubers- These can also be customized. Red is one of the more popular colors for daubers, however the variations in daubers have grown considerably and your choice are wide.

3. Double Roll Tickets-Most rolls contain up to two-thousand tickets per roll. Using various colors is always recommended with larger bingo gatherings.

4. Bingo Paper/Cards- The push out die paper is popular on those bingo cruises we often hear about. There is no need daubers or chips with these ones. You can simply push out the number as they are called with your finger. If you prefer the traditional bingo cards then you can have them custom ordered with customized themes or logos.

5. Cushions and Totes-Bingo suppliers who make cushions and totes have gotten more creative with the numerous patterns and styles. It is recommended that you get the ones with extra cushion padding for more bounce and softness, they also last longer. Get the ones with a Velcro pouch for a better grip on the chair. Totes with special compartments for specific bingo necessities such as your daubers and chips is always good deal. There are wide assortments of patterns and colors to choose from. Matching tote and cushions normally look better together.

6. Raffle Drums-Drums come in all shapes and sizes. The size is obviously the determining factor in getting a bingo raffle drum.

8. Promotional Wheels- Most wheels are made of wood. It is highly recommended that if you decide to get a promotional wheel you get one made from plywood. Promotional wheels often become wobbly and discolored when made with regular wood. These have a very short life span. Get only the best promotional wheels. Wheels can be custom made base on promotion and target audience.

9. Electronic Equipment-These are much bigger investment. When you get electronic bingo equipment ensure that it is state of the art with a good warranty. These are more suited for bigger bingo establishments. Useful equipments include the Game pattern flashboards. They come in different sizes and show the amount to be won and last number called.

10. Bingo Starter Kits- Bingo Starter Kit is good for large and small bingo games. Most bingo kits have everything you need. These are a few things that your bingo starter kits should have, a cage set which includes the cage, bingo balls, a masterboard, bingo cards, chips, bingo paper that contains bingo sheets and bingo daubers.

These are just few of the things you will need for your bingo game. There is a wide variety of accessories available. Most bingo supplies can be customized to order specific to color, logo and themes.

Recent months has seen an increase in the number of online gaming sites being launched in Spain (particularly online bingo and poker). But while the online gaming phenomenon took hold in the US and UK some time ago, it is only recently that the numbers of online players in Spain has increased, allowing companies the confidence to delve into the Spanish markets.

So what are the reasons for the recent increase in the number of players and game site launches?

The main reason is seen as the increase in availability of broadband across the country. Previously those with only a modem dial up connection would find it both expensive and frustrating playing a game which required a download and a sufficiently fast continuous connection. As dial-up in Spain is charged per minute, and with Telefonica (the worlds 6th largest telecoms company) previously being the sole provider of fixed telephone lines, and therefore its pricing mechanisms, you can see how people have been put off from using the internet, let alone delving into the world of online gaming.

However, times are changing. The liberalization of the fixed-line telecommunications service market in Spain was completed in 1998. Spain (9th in the table for European broadband coverage) with penetration just slightly lower than the European average is now ahead of countries such as France and Germany. Recent European rulings, together with large EU subsidies (23 million euros grant plus 120 million euros in interest free loans) are encouraging healthy competition for broadband provision in both large towns and remote locations. More and more companies are providing various means of gaining high speed access to the internet and the prices are tumbling rapidly as competition heats up. Nortel and Vodafone Spain have also recently demonstrated their mobile telephony at 3.6 Megabits per second at the 3GSM World Congress 2006 in Barcelona. At these rates customers will have access to higher speed broadband than the majority of European fixed broadband connections operating at 2 Megabits per second, providing a further option for those wishing to delve into the world of mobile gaming via laptop, palmtop or phone.

Security is seen as another main reason why players previously stayed away. Whereas before, out-dated computer systems with a dial-up connection would pose a security risk to those wishing to use online payments methods (a necessity if you wish to play and pay immediately), the latest computers, coupled with a broadband connection and inbuilt firewall software are far more secure. This provides users with more confidence when making payments to online bingo or poker sites.

And what of this new found confidence in the internet and online games. Confidence in the games is certainly another reason why the numbers of players have recently increased. Users in Spain were previously seen as cautious and unwilling to part with their hard earned cash. Numbers of people signing up to the games were high, the interest was certainly there, but actual cash deposits were low. It would seem that any spare money for such recreation was usually spent on the local or national lottery games such as El Gordo or ONCE. Players may have been waiting for the UK and US markets to take hold, therefore providing tried and tested games and technology, giving the Spanish more confidence in such systems.

Confidence in making payments online has also increased as companies such as UKash offer facilities for making deposits to online gaming sites without the need for credit card. Some sites also offer a system that allows bank transfer directly to the game site.

So what does this all mean for a company wishing to launch online bingo or poker in Spain?

At present Spain is seen as an untapped market, but with a population of over 40 million and with internet access currently available to over 25% of homes, coupled with growth in broadband connections of some 70% for 2005, you can see the potential both now and for growth and money making in the future. With land-based bingo being very popular in Spain, (there are around 468 licensed bingo halls) you would guess that the transition to online bingo will be inevitable, as it has been in countries like the UK. And with the Spanish being more attracted to skill and knowledge games, the transition to online poker will also be more forthcoming.

And what of the current demographic of current online players?

Well, Juega bingo Ya reports that its bingo network is growing at a rate of 30% per month. The average age of bingo players being around 35 and, interestingly, 67% of players making cash deposits are male.

So with improvements in computer systems, more broadband connections, better game quality and payment methods, growth in confidence is only natural, and it won’t be long before more Spanish internet users are attracted to the prospect of winning cash prizes at online bingo or online poker.

Online bingo has gained tremendous popularity over the last few years. A game that used to be played in large halls has now moved to the net. The number of sites offering various online bingo games has considerably increased.

When playing online bingo, usually once a game is chosen, gamers are offered a variety of cards to choose from. When the players find the card they want, they simply click on it and click “buy.” They can also see a countdown to the start of the game as they read about rules, patterns, and ways to win.

One of the reasons why Internet bingo is convenient to play is because of its auto play aspect. When players start a game, the auto-daub or auto play feature is automatically turned on. This means that as and when the numbers are called, the players’ cards are automatically updated for them.

One of the best things about online bingo is that gamers can win big cash jackpots while playing their favorite game. Online bingo games are home to many cash jackpots. The prizes in online bingo are decided based on the number of people who buy cards. The great thing about bingo is that in most of the games, the more players there are, the bigger the jackpots. Therefore, every time one person is added to the list of online gamers, the pots increase and the jackpots get bigger. In case of two winners, the prize is split. Many of these online bingo websites have at least one jackpot game every day of the week. There are also jackpots that build over time and it is won if a player wins a game in a specific period. A number of sites offer premium jackpot bingo games for cash as well as free online bingo games.

In cases where online bingo gamers win a large sum of money, the amount is not deposited into their account at one time. It is deposited over a certain period in a structured form.

Bingo is one of the games of fortune and the rules of this game are also very simple. Before joining the game, you must first buy a card marked with the letters B, I, N, G, O right across the face on the top column. Below this column, you will find another column inscribed with numbers. The host announces a series of numbers, and you are required to mark them. Along with the markings you must try to attain a desired pattern on the bingo card.

The game is purely based on hard-core luck and thus there are no ways and means to enhance your winnings. But you need to bear in mind certain points that help you win the game.

The procedure of the game is very simple and you need not feel scared to play. Do not buy more cards in order to impress others. Do not get your kids and your close friends with you because you may be distracted while playing and will not be able to concentrate on the numbers which are read out. Do not play the game during late nights. If you are feeling tired you may miss out the numbers that are already read. Do not unnecessarily spend your money because you cannot predict your chance of winning. Go ahead if you win the game because you may later win in bumpers. You will achieve the desired pattern as early as possible if you properly concentrate with the game. If you want to participate in most of the games right from the game number 1, you must reach the hall about an hour early before the game actually commences.

If you want to make a killing with your fund raising efforts, there is probably no better way than to run a bingo. Contrary to popular belief, these events are not just for churches. Anybody can run one. If you don’t know how and don’t know what you’ll need, this little checklist should give you just the info required to make your bingo a huge success.

Let’s face it. People love to gamble and bingo is one of the most popular forms of gambling that there are. Yes, because it is gambling there are some legalities involved and a bit of red tape as far as paperwork, but if you’re a charitable organization and have the necessary proof of this, you shouldn’t have any trouble getting permission to run one of these.

The first thing you have to do is apply for a permit to run a bingo. You do this by submitting your organization’s name and tax exempt number. This is required to prove that you are indeed a charitable organization. All of these have tax exempt numbers. If you don’t know where yours is, just call your mother organization and they’ll tell you how to get a copy of it. Please don’t lose this information. You’ll need it for a lot of fund raising activities that you do.

After you get your permit to run a bingo, the next thing you have to do is get your supplies. There are companies that specialize in bingo supplies. You’ll need the bingo cards themselves, chips for people to use in order to cover the numbers when called and finally the drum and balls. This is a drum similar to the ones they use for the lottery. The only difference is that inside the drums are the numbers that correspond to the numbers on the bingo cards.

After you have everything that you need, the next thing you have to do is pick a date and place for the bingo. Once that’s all taken care of, you’ll then need to get the word out, whether it be through mailings or signs posted around the neighborhood. In the case of a bingo, you don’t need to know how many people are coming. The bingo making supply companies will supply you with enough cards to host a bingo for several hundred people at least.

Finally, you have to decide what the prize pool is going to be for each bingo game. You can either make it a fixed dollar amount, or you can make it a percentage of the amount collected for each game. Just make sure you decide this beforehand. The only way you would have to change this is if the amount you decide upon, if a fixed amount, is more than what you actually collected for the game, which is not likely.

As an added touch, you might want to have some refreshments, which you can either sell for a modest amount or give away with the purchase of each card.

There are various reasons why people begin playing UK bingo, such as for money, for company, for experiencing that rush of adrenaline, or simply to have a good time. Peaks and pitfalls, highs and lows, thrill and kills, you name it – online bingo provides all these and more. Just as in any other game where stakes are high, this heightened excitement has its own fair share of positive and negative impact on the players.

Over the years, the popularity of bingo has traversed all over the world. Since the time the online bingo version was introduced, enthusiasts of the game have been able to play from within the confines of their homes. However, there are many players who still prefer soaking in the excitement of the game by playing it at the local town hall or the casino.

Bingo- The Stress Magnet

The excitement involved in a game of bingo can also drive a person to the other side of the spectrum. Getting too engrossed in the game, one’s excitement level could fluctuate; this could have a negative effect on those who have high blood pressure or heart problems. According to some studies, people who play bingo are prone to get easily worked up and consequently have high-stress, high-powered careers. It has been observed that work related stress is far less than the stress generated while playing bingo. There have been several instances of people having lost their jobs because of bingo-related stress impacting their performance at work.

Violence

Other than the health related drawbacks, bingo is also known to ignite passions and can cause players to get involved in violent fights. At bingo halls and public bingo games, it has been noticed that people who are by nature, short-tempered tend to be easily drawn into fights. This could have disastrous consequences, if someone is hurt.

In spite of the above-mentioned risks, bingo can still be an enjoyable stress-buster if players accept that it is only a game, take care of their health and control their behavior.

Let us give the anti-stress secret a name for easy associative recall. The secret name for your new power is called the Bingo-Switcheroo. From this moment whenever you say or even think of the expression Bingo-Switcheroo, your right-hemisphere immediately comes to a grinding screeching halt, and is censored and inhibited.

The specific strategy is revealed below.

Simultaneously your left-brain is given a field promotion to commander-in-chief and fully dominates all the activities and behaviors produced by your 3-pound coconut until you decide otherwise.

After Bingo-Switcheroo occurs logical analysis and a positive state of mind is produced by your left-hemisphere; it is directed by your Prefrontal-Cortex and Orbito-Frontal Cortex. Its first activity is to wipe off negativity and chronic-stress from your mental screen and substitute relaxation (acetylcholine) and peace of mind.

How Come?

Forget those scientific terms and remember stress, fear and test-angst originate and maintain their power over you exclusively through your right-hemisphere (brain).

Hold it. If you change your brain channel from horror movie to comedy or chick-flick, your stressful (frightening) emotions switch off within two-minutes. It is all about your volition (choice) – will power.

Imprint this on your mind. Your left-hemisphere (brain) is responsible for order, logic and reason (math). It does not have the capacity or structures for manufacturing depression or stress.

Summary

You can choose to move away from stress anytime you want by flipping your switch from righty to lefty (hemispheres). Your left-brain is incapable of producing stress or depression. It requires just two-minutes, and without the necessity of drugs and their side effects.

The secret of success is owning a kid song with words and rhythm you can instantly produce aloud or silently. This song with its simple phrases and beat can jam the signal from your right-brain. Without the right-brain neuronal signal (canceled) all frightening mental-movies turn to dust and you revert to left-brain domination.

Concentration consists of attention and intention and moves you into-the-flow, also known as in-the-zone. Instead of stress and depression you enter into Peak-Experiences. It is based on your choice to switch hemispheres.

These acts of attention and concentration do two things. First, you change your biochemistry and second, reduce your brainwave rhythms. Both are scientifically measurable by fMRI and EEG.

Singing Aloud or Silently

There was a farmer who had a dog,

and Bingo was his name-o

B-I-N-G-O

B-I-N-G-O

B-I-N-G-O

And Bingo was his name-o.

There was a farmer who had a dog,

and Bingo was his name-o,

(clap) –I-N-G-O

(clap) –I-N-G-O

(clap) –I-N-G-O

And Bingo was his name-o

There was a farmer who had a dog,

and Bingo was his name-o,

(clap-clap) -N-G-O

(clap-clap – N-G-O

(clap-clap) – N-G-O

This opus by Beethoven continues with three, four and five claps replacing

the letters in the name BINGO. It ends with, And Bingo was his name-o.

Endwords

Tell me, whose name is Bingo, the dog or the farmer? You say Bingo is the

dog of course, yet half the people interviewed said it was Farmer Bingo who sings

to his dog about himself.

What matters is this scientific strategy works the first time out of the box, and

becomes a habit after practicing daily for just two-minutes for twenty-one (21)

consecutive days.

We suggest you release your Inner Child (six to eight years old) to do the

Bingo-Switcheroo and smash to smithereens stress and depression. Teenager

Speedlearners call this strategy – releasing your inner-freak. It has worked

When most people think of bingo, they think about the game as played by seniors in retirement castles. While it’s certainly true that many seniors do enjoy bingo, variants of the game can also be played in school as a fun way to learn. When played in school, bingo can help teach reading, math, geography, science or music, and can also be used as a means to help students and teacher get to know each other.

Here are some variants of bingo suitable to play in school:

1. Reading and English as a Second Language: The teacher prints up some bingo card containing “Dolch Sight Words”. These are common English words that can’t be sounded out phonetically, but that students must learn to recognize in order to become fluent English readers. Then you simply play bingo. If you want to save paper, instead of crossing off words as they are called, students can place a counter over the appropriate squares on their sight word bingo cards.

2. Math: The teacher can print out bingo cards with numbers on them, and then instead of calling out numbers directly call out sums that would evaluate to the number. For example, instead of calling out “63″ the teacher might call out “9 times 7″.

3. Geography and Science: Both these subjects involve many facts and details that must be learned. For example, you could play bingo using country names, national or state capitals or chemical elements. As with other variants, the teacher could call out a question or description (e.g. “The capital of France?”), and students have to figure out whether the answer (e.g. “Paris“) is on their bingo card.

4. Music: You can also play bingo using musical symbols - which is a interesting way to help improve student’s ability to quickly recognize them. If you’re printing bingo cards on the computer - simply use a music font when printing your bingo cards.

5. Ice-breaker Bingo: This is a nice way to introduce students to each other (and to the teacher) on the first day of school. Before class, the teacher should prepare a set of bingo cards with all the student’s names on them. The bingo cards are then given out to each student. The teacher then goes round the class, picking students at random. Each student has to stand-up and introduce themselves by name and tell the class something about themselves (what they did in summer, their favorite hobby, or something like that). If somebody calls bingo, they have to say something like “I have a bingo with Alice, Bob, Charles, David and Edward” and then identify each of the students in question.

The internet offers variety of options to the fanatic or lazy bingo players who want to enjoy this game from their comfortable homes. Whether you cannot go through a day without playing or you are too lazy to get out and play, here you can read about the benefits of playing online.

Convenience and Simplicity:

Online gaming enables you to play 24 hours a day and 7 days a week without having to get up from your favourite chair. It means that you can forget about the long waiting time between one game and the next. It also means that you can say goodbye to crowded, noisy and smoky bingo halls. With the option of playing this game online, you can play on your own time and on your own conditions.

However, this does not imply that playing through the internet is necessarily a solitary habit. One of the main advantages of playing online is the chat feature. While in the conservative version, social interaction is limited to your local community, in the online version you can interact with people from different parts of the world and of different ages. As opposed to the live game, chatting while playing on the internet is not only allowed, it is encouraged.

Not that playing is complicated, but the online variation is probably the easiest pastimes you can find. And as if playing on the internet from your own home does not make life easier, the online software includes a component called auto daub, which saves you the effort of marking off the called out numbers yourself.

Bonuses and Free Cash

Online players can earn first deposit bonuses and redeposit bonuses when signing up. In other words, whether you win or lose, you get to win free money. Here are a few updated examples to online bonuses:

Playing on the internet, you are not limited to one type of game. Most online halls offer both the UK style 90 ball game with 9X3 cards and the American style 75 ball game with 5X5 cards. In addition, you can usually find variety of online games such as slots, keno, scratch cards and some other interactive chat games.

Moreover, in 75 ball online games you can find more than the standard horizontal, vertical or diagonal patterns. You can find a variety of complex themed patterns including coverall patterns, which offer a bonus payout. Internet games are usually customized and you can choose the style, sound, and even the speed. Each online hall offers a wide range of card prices to fit each budget.

Bottom Line:

Playing on the internet can be a fun, convenient and even profitable alternative to playing live at one of the local bingo halls or to just slacking all evening in front of the TV.